Heart of health: Erin Gray and Christie Blotnicky lead Public Health communications behind-the-scenes

Significant work in healthcare often happens quietly, behind the scenes. 

For Erin Gray and Christie Blotnicky, senior communications advisors for Public Health at Nova Scotia Health, that’s exactly where they thrive — crafting messages, building trust and supporting teams across the province with clarity and compassion.

“Erin and Christie have exceptional expertise, insight and professionalism,” said Dr. Ryan Sommers, senior regional medical officer of health and senior medical director, Population and Public Health at Nova Scotia Health. “Their skill in handling urgent outbreak communications alongside strategic long-term planning for proactive Public Health messaging has become one of our key strengths. They transform complex information into clear, understandable messages, which can be a challenging task.” 

Erin joined Nova Scotia Health five years ago, as COVID-19 began to reshape the world, and Public Health was thrown into the spotlight.

“I jumped into the fire and stayed,” she says with a laugh. Christie followed shortly after. “I felt like Public Health was an area that aligned closely with my values,” she explains. 

Beginning their roles during a global health crisis was a challenge they fully embraced and steadily built a solid foundation of knowledge, trust and connections.

“We built incredible relationships with people we may never have, had we not joined during COVID times,” Erin reflects. “Because of this, and the trust we earned, now we’re one of the first people they call. Public Health teams understand our role and see the value it brings to their work and hopefully makes their job a little easier.”

“Communication is an important Public Health intervention and, when done well, can significantly influence population health,” says Marcia DeSantis, senior director, Population and Public Health. “A great example is our response to measles. Erin and Christie quickly stepped in to support the preparatory work, which helped thousands of Nova Scotians get vaccinated.” 

As measles numbers across Canada started to rise earlier this year, Erin and Christie developed messaging and led communications that prompted a surge in people checking their immunization records on YourHealthNS, and for those who needed to be vaccinated, guided them to clinics in their communities.

“Attendance at those clinics would not have been as strong without effective communication reaching the public,” explains Marcia.

Public Health touches lives at every stage, whether it’s prenatal support, youth health centres, immunization programs and community wellness initiatives, or working to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

Erin and Christie are front and centre in supporting these efforts, ensuring Nova Scotians understand the value of preventative healthcare and the resources available to them.

Christie describes the importance of Public Health’s work. “Imagine standing beside a river, watching people being swept downstream. Others are pulling them out, but more keep coming. So, you walk upstream and find a broken bridge where people are falling in. While many healthcare services help downstream, Public Health is at the bridge, working to prevent people from falling in. We are preventative care at its core — stopping illness before it starts."

Christie and Erin recently led a province-wide effort to raise awareness about routine vaccination and reinforce the importance of vaccination and the role of Public Health in keeping communities safe. 

“We tried to reach people where they were,” Christie explains. 

The campaign used many different types of digital tools to drive people to the website where they could learn about routine vaccines, including a mix of static ads, video ads and search engine marketing. Overall, the campaign was a success with most tactics exceeding targets.

It’s no surprise that for both Erin and Christie, it’s the people that make their jobs so special. 

“Our colleagues in Public Health care deeply about the health of people in Nova Scotia,” Christie says. “They're so dedicated, skilled and compassionate. Their work makes a real difference for families and communities.”

Erin agrees. “Being able to use my strengths to support people doing incredible work in communities — that’s what makes me want to get up in the morning.”

Their hope is that Nova Scotians understand the heart behind the work. “We work with colleagues from across Nova Scotia every single day,” says Christie. “They trust us, we trust them and the respect is mutual. That’s a special bond.”

In a program that offers support starting during the prenatal period until end-of-life, Erin and Christie are helping shape the narrative of Public Health — not for recognition, but for impact. “It’s truly a privilege to work with this team,” Erin says with pride.

Learn more about Public Health initiatives including immunization clinics, Public Health Mobile Unit, vaccination records, youth health centres, pregnancy support and parenting support.

YourHealthNS connects you with care by providing a single source of healthcare services, resources, and information from across the health system and care delivery partners. 

Download the app through the Apple and Google Play stores or view online at www.YourHealthNS.ca.

Photo of (L-R) Christie Blotnicky and Erin Gray, senior communications advisors for Public Health at Nova Scotia Health.